Texas deserves a governor who won’t lead an assault on women’s most personal decisions

Abbott rescinds women’s rights

Gov. Greg Abbott has drastically reduced women’s rights and health care. No abortion exceptions even for rape and incest? The law Abbott signed gives rapists a free pass to hurt women. And he won’t stop there. Republicans are trying to limit women from crossing state lines for care.

Beto O’Rourke is my choice for governor. He is the only candidate standing up for women and their right to choose. The state should not interfere between a woman and her doctor. We have to get back to reasonable lawmaking in Texas.

- Tristan Martinez, Mansfield

I’m all in on Ron DeSantis

Donald Trump was a good president. But he has become way too controversial, lacks diplomacy and needs a muzzle on his mouth. He needs to gracefully step aside and help make Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis the Republican nominee in 2024. It is time for this country to make generational changes, and DeSantis fits the bill.

If Trump’s ego makes him run again and he wins, he will be too busy fighting off those he thinks are out to get him. It will take a full-time commitment to fix the mess this country is in.

DeSantis’ age, diplomacy, intelligence, experience in governing, gentle toughness and love of America make him the ideal candidate in 2024.

- Angela Benvenuto, Arlington

War Machine, Big Oil run things

The U.S. military-industrial complex loves the wars we get involved in. So do retired Pentagon brass who go to work lobbying for defense contractors. Big U.S. oil and gas companies love world conflict, too. How long after World War II and Korea are we required to play big brother to NATO, Japan, Germany and even our WWII allies?

How about giving consumers a price break on oil and gas instead of allowing free exports? Our economy would start upticking almost immediately, since everything in our economy relies on the price of fuel.

We all know why it hasn’t happened. Big oil and gas and others have more power in Washington than American consumers because we are a divided country and they do their best to keep it so.

- John T. Johnson III, Arlington

Cowboys need a new playbook

How about a new offensive play for the Cowboys? When they are backed up deep, they can run Ezekiel Elliott into the middle of the line. Oh, you say they did that, and then did it again and again and again? What is the saying about doing something, failing every time and still expecting a different result?

Maybe the Cowboys’ reasoning is that the play has failed so many times that the next time the defense would think they are too smart to try it again. How has that worked?

- Dan Moore, Fort Worth

What our schools should do

The Star-Telegram’s Sept. 30 editorial “Abbott, O’Rourke must talk schools in tonight’s debate” (15A) says: “Our politicians should focus on basic skills children need to function in life and in the workforce.” I agree that needs to be the focus, but that is not the purview of state politicians. It’s the concern of local school board members, school leaders and, when it comes right down to it, teachers in classrooms. The state provides funding and general education guidelines. But enforcement is done at the local level.

The editorial says: “Perhaps fewer conversations about pronouns or critical race theory and more conversations about how to teach students to construct a sentence or even just how to read one?” Those conversations are not mutually exclusive. Many of us are advocating for stopping the excessive focus on social issues and focusing on the three R’s.

- Mark Carter, Benbrook

People most in need of help

It seems Ironic that when it pertains to underserved Black and brown communities, health services are rarely distributed in a manner that the intended recipients need. (Sept. 25, 1A, “Health Science Center vaccinated 10 percent of what was envisioned”) The blame is shuffled through the bureaucratic system.

Is it lack of experience or lack of concern for those who need the services? The failure of the UNT Health Science Center to achieve the desired results in its partnership with the county is unacceptable.

Could the failure of UNTHSC to partner with leaders in those communities be a factor in the vaccination services’ ineffectiveness? Oh, well, another underutilized program is swept under the rug with no viable explanation from those who promised results. Maybe next time.

- Carl McElroy, Crowley